Karl Robert Nesselrode, Count

Nesselrode, Karl Robert, Count (kärl rōˈbĕrt nyĕsĕlrôˈdyĭ) [key], 1780–1862, Russian statesman of German descent, b. Lisbon. He entered diplomatic service under Czar Alexander I, became state secretary in 1814, and attended the Congress of Vienna (1814–15). In 1816, he became Russian foreign minister, sharing influence with Count Capo d'Istria until the latter's retirement in 1822. Guiding Russian policy for 40 years, Nesselrode, a leading conservative statesman, favored the Holy Alliance and in 1849 dispatched Russian troops to help Austria crush the Hungarian revolt led by Louis Kossuth. His efforts to expand Russian influence in the E Mediterranean at the expense of the Ottoman Empire and his miscalculations of British and French tolerance of this policy contributed decisively to the outbreak of the Crimean War. Nesselrode also served as chancellor from 1845 to 1856. His autobiography was published in 1866.